The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-30
"War and Peace"

Had q little of the energy, enthuSl-
asm. the self-sacrificc, which led to
martyrdom on the battlefield, been
given to the calm consideration of the
question at~issue, when reason ana
ccnscienre might have held sway,
these wears would have been of peace,
not of war.
One principal reason why the peace
full adjustment Of differences has been
so long deferred, / believe is that all
governments have been mems govern
ments, and not the peoples govern
ments.
Nothing, in Gods providence, seems
to me more clearly manifest than that
he meant the manly and womaniy
judgment and perceptions to supple
lnent each other, and that wherever
thew are separated evil follows; yet
custom and prejudice and indifference
\ have combined to induce women to
shrink from the assumption of any re-
sponsibility save that of mitigating the
evils which one-sided legislation mas
brought upon the world. If half the
heroic self-devotion with which she
has met these evils had been used 10
avert them, we should have less cause,
barbarism of the nineteenth century
If for Florence Nightingale in the Crl-
mean camp, we could have had Flor
ence Nightingale in Parliament; II, Tor
the heroic women, who sacrificed SO
many womanly instincts TO bind up
gaping wounds in army hospitals, or
search on southern battle-tields, by the
dim light of their lanterns, to distin-
guish the pallor of the wounded from
the ghastliness of the dead If for
these we had womanly councils, in the
Cpbinet,-if for women's hands scrap
ing lint on Sundays, and far into the
night. we could have had womenS
brains devising means OF cohGlllailon,
I trust we should not need to blush to
call ourselves a Christian people. A
state-paper into which woman's mind
and heart could help incorporate
Christ's doctrine of "peace on earth
and goodwill to men," would be some
thing more truly, nobly womanly, than
any silken banner though it bore the
the stars and stripes which her hands
could fashion for her brothers march
ing.to battle. r..
The wife, whose husband political
necessity took from her side, stalwart
and vigorous, to return HIM manned
by shot and shell, or wasted in the prl-
sons of Libby and Andersonvllle, tells
me she has no interest in politics. ne
mother, who saw her son torego the
brilliant opportunities just opening be-
fore him, to fill an unmarked grave at
Balls Bluff or Port Hudson, thinks
matters of legislation do not concern
women. Not concern women? w nat
does concern them, if~hot the hearts in
their own bosoms,-if not the lives
dearer than theip>own?
1t is often given as reason why wo-
men should not share in government,
that she couldn't fight. Let it he a
ground of her claim, as 1t would pe
her glory, that she wouldn't fight, save
with the weapons of the Spirit.
Does that seem to be choosing an easy
field? Believe me it is because it is u
hard one that it has not been ottener
chosen. 1t is because moral courage is
so rare, that physical courage is made
its poor substitute.
We cannot he proud happy enough
that recently two of the foremost ma
tions of the earth-one our own-have
met in calm deliberation and settled
question of disputed claim without ap-
Deal to arms. Brains and morals have
for once, represented these nations. 1T
is grand step taken in the interest OF
peace. A glorious augury for the fu-
ture.
Goodwin Smith says, "Let us never
gf--re.i gfT.,rs ee-7i ,:i-s< statesmanshlp is
the art of avoiding it, ailu OF making
progress at once continuous anu calm.
This is the craftsmanship in which
Ibeleve woman would pre-eminently
excel.
That the country has need of all the
wisdom ana discretion it can COM
mand, is daily made too painfully ap-
parent. In the name of that piece to-
which woman has u right:ul claim,-|
peace, which was the best gilt Christ
had to leave as his bemediction to his
disciples,-I entreat you, my sisters,
that YOU withhold not willingly your
best gift, your womanly judgments
and instincts, from the service OF your
country in her pressing need.
have talked too long, I have left
unsaid what I wanted to say. The
dark picture detained me, when l
would have painted the blessings of
peace; peace in its broader aspect
peace which is something more than
not war. But let me plead excuse that
we are enjoined to be ''tirst pure, then
peaceable."
"God mend all, is the pious ejacu-
lation of the curate, in one of the old
plays, when q horrible wrong needing
prompt action is brought to his person.
al knowledge. "Nay, through God,
sir, we must help to mend it; and |,
for one, will not rest till this foul wrong
is righted," is the manly answer of u
squire standing by. There are wrongs
which we must help right, if we would
bring the millennial day of peace.
War at our doors is penalty (which
we must meet; but, to avert it let us
even in times of war prepare for peace,
by meeting all issues on the right plane
of principle. Then not only the spirit
of Christmas-tde, but that our daily
lives shall echo the refrain OF the poet;
"Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nObler modes Of life,
With Swecter manners, purcr laws,
"Ring out old shapes of foul disease:
Ring out the narrowing lust for gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old;
Ring in the thousand years OF peace,
"Rins in the valiant man and free
The larger heart the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land?
Ring in the Christ that Is to be-